156km! "It's a different class" is Jung Woo-ju, and there are no tears...Should I prove it by winning the Blue Dragon Flag for the first time since its foundation? The battle with Yongmago.

Jul 15, 2024

The 79th Blue Dragon National High School Baseball Championship and the weekend league king match against Gangneung High School in the semifinals at Mokdong Stadium on the 14th. Jeongo Jung Woo-joo pitching. Mokdong = Song Jeong-heon Reporter songs@sportschosun.com/2024.07.14/

It is rare for a high school baseball team to have an opportunity to match the emergence of an all-time player and the heyday of the school. Jeon Ju-go and Jung Woo-ju, 17, took the precious opportunity.

Jeonju High School, led by head coach Joo Chang-hoon, overcame the first setbacks and once again stood on the stage of the national finals. Jeonju High School will face Masan Yongmago in the 79th Blue Dragon Open National High School Baseball Championship and the weekend league King Wangjung match (co-hosted by the Chosun Ilbo, Sports Chosun, and Korea Baseball Softball Association) on the 16th. Both teams with a long history are trying to win the Blue Dragon Flag for the first time.

Jung Woo-joo, the ace of Jeonju High School this year, is the best pitcher who is likely to have one overall pick in the professional baseball rookie draft. Along with Deoksu Jeong Hyeon-woo, it is considered a "two-top". He has a strong fastball with a maximum speed of 156km in official games.

Previously, Jeonju High School, led by Jung Woo-ju, lost to Deoksu in the E-Mart Cup final earlier this year and swallowed the fire. After the round of 32 Cheongryonggi Chungam High School, Jung Woo-joo "The goal is to win unconditionally. Through this competition, I will show that I am one-sided better than Jung Hyun-woo. I want to draw a clear line between the two of us," he said, expressing his enthusiasm.

The 79th Cheongryonggi National High School Baseball Championship match between Jeonju High School and Cheongdam High School was held at Seoul Mokdong Baseball Stadium on the 12th. Jeon and Jung Woo-joo are catching their breath. Mokdong = Reporter Park Jae-man pjm@sportschosun.com/2024.07.12/

Jeonju High School was founded in 1925 during the Japanese colonial period. Since its re-foundation in 1977, it has produced stars such as Kim Won-hyung, Park Kyung-wan, and Choi Hyung-woo. However, he only won the national high school baseball championship once (Golden Lion in 1985).

Recently, Park Jae-min (Lotte), Park Kwon-hoo (Samsung), and Son Hyun-ki (Kium) have faced a revival. It was the first time in 34 years that the semifinals of the association (currently E-Mart Bae) advanced to the semifinals of the national competition after winning the Golden Lion, but lost to Bae Myung-go in the final round of understanding and finished second. He was also the runner-up in the 2022 presidential cup.

This year's Cheongryonggi was a stage where the so-called baseball famous books stood out. The quarterfinals are a combination of traditions such as Deoksu High School, Gwangju Il High School, Jangchung High School, Masan Yongma High School, Busan High School, Gangneung High School, and Pyeongtaek Cheongdam High School, as well as emerging powerhouses and regional leaders.

Joong Woo-joo at the interview. Reporter Kim Young-rok

Deoksu High School was eliminated after losing to Gwangju Il High School in the quarterfinals of this tournament, but Jeon High School was on a roll and finally reached the final stage to aim for the championship. Jung Woo-joo had 60 pitches and Lee Ho-min had 72 pitches in the semifinals against the enemy Gangneung High School. The ace's shoulders became heavy in the final after a day off.

Gwangju Il High School, which defeated Deoksu High School, which was considered the No. 1 favorite, and Jin Min-soo's Masan Yongmago is the team that defeated it to reach the final stage. Since its foundation in 1936, it has been thirsty for six runner-ups (one Cheongryonggi and five Golden Lions) without winning a national championship. It is the first attempt to win a national championship in five years since the Golden Lion in 2019.

The 79th Blue Dragon Open National High School Championship match between Masan Yongmago and Bukilgo held at Shinwol Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 11th. Joo Tae-joon of Masan Yongmago took the mound as a starting pitcher. Shinwol-dong = Reporter Jung Jae-geun cjg@sportschosun.com /2024.7.11/

Last year, even though he had an absolute ace named Jang Hyun-seok (LA Dodgers), he had a bad luck to be eliminated from the Blue Dragon Open quarterfinals Jangchung High School.

This time, Masan Yongma High School stands in the way of the best ace in high school baseball. The solid mound raised by pitching coach Cho Jung-hoon from Lotte Giants, including Joo Tae-joon, Lee Seo-yul and Sung Ji-hwan, stands out.

One of the two teams will have their first blue dragon flag in their arms. The Cheongryonggi final between Jeonju High School and Masan Yongma High School will be held at Mokdong Stadium at 2 p.m. on the 16th.

The 79th Blue Dragon Open National High School Baseball Championship and the weekend league king match against Gwangju Il High School in the semifinals of the king's match against Masan Yongmago at Mokdong Stadium on the 14th. Masan Yongma High School came from behind to win 3-2 over Gwangju Il High School. Masan Yongmago players are sharing the joy of winning after the game. Mokdong = Song Jeong-heon Reporter's songs@sportschosun.com/2024.07.14/

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